Waste disposal apparatus



DCC' 13, 1956 T. c. R. SHEPHERD WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS Filed Dec. 19,1965 Thomas Crapper 55|@ Shepherd INVENTOR BY M l gauw, la/1ML# ATTORNEYUnited States Patent O WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS Thomas Cropper RyleyShepherd, Arbour Hill House, Ross-on-Wye, England Filed Dec. 19, 1963`Ser. No. 331.796 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 21,1962, 48,367/ 62 Claims. (Cl. 241-36) This invention concerns wastedisposal apparatus and relates more particularly to the disposal offibrous waste material such as sanitary towels.

The invention concerns apparatus of the type comprising a rotaryimpeller which co-acts with a set of stationary teeth, the impellerbeing rotatably driven by an electric motor which is normallyinoperative and is started immediately after the introduction of thearticle to be comminuted and upon closing a cover which gives access tothe apparatus (the material to be comminuted being introduced through amouth normally closed by the cover) the arrangement being that thematerial is comminuted between the rotating impeller and the stationaryteeth and is carried away therefrom to drain.

According to this invention apparatus having a chute or duct down whichthe articles fall into the comminuting `apparatus is characterised inthat the action of closing the cover starts the electric motor andinitiates a supply of water to the apparatus, the water being directedtherethrough as two streams one of which Hows downwardly of the chutetowards the impeller and the other of which is supplied to the impellerand is discharged therefrom under centrifugal force to flow over thelower part of the chute and over the stationary teeth.

It is a feature of this invention that there is an overflow outlet fromthe chute or duct which communicates with the drain outlet so that waterin the chute or duct can not exceed a specied level.

According to a feature of the invention there is provided meanstemporarily to break the fall of the material before reaching theapparatus. As a consequence of the break in the free fall of thematerial to be comminuted there is provided a longer interval of timeduring which the motor is permitted to gather speed so that when thearticle reaches the impeller it is ensured that it can not stop themotor.

According to a feature of this invention the stream of water owingdownwardly 0f the chute is delivered to the chute from above the meansfor breaking the free fall 0f the article to be comminuted. In this waythe article becomes wetted (at least in part) while upon saidfallbreaking means and thus reaches the impeller at least partly wet. Itmay be arranged that the additional weight of the article due to thewater taken up is sufiicient to deform or deect said means and therebymove the article downwardly towards the impeller.

According to a further feature of the invention the electric motor iscontrolled by a time-switch device in conjunction with a motor-startingswitch means actuated by the cover referred to so that when the cover isopened the motor is rendered inoperative and so that when the cover isclosed the motor is operative for a predetermined time during which thearticle is comminuted and discharged to drain.

A practical application of the present invention will now be describedby way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing whichis a longitudinal section of a waste disposal apparatus for the disposalof sanitary towels.

Referring to the drawing: the apparatus comprises 1an electric motor 1having a vertical, upwardly-directed driving shaft 2 on the upper end ofwhich is mounted an imgigg Patented Dec. 13, 1966 peller 3 which co-actswith a ring of stationary teeth 4 carried by an impeller casing 5. Wateris supplied to the comminuting apparatus through a channel 6 and passestherefrom around a seal 7 for the shaft 2 and thence through theimpeller by ducts 8, 9. A vertical chute 10 extends upwardly from thecasing 5 to which it is suitably secured by bolts as shown. The bottomedge of the chute 10 is outwardly iiared, as at 11, where it joins thecasing 5 and it is arranged that an upwardly directed jet of waterdischarged from the impeller through opening 12 the water entering theopening 12 from the duct 9 under centrifugal pressure impinges againstthe ared portion 11 and is deflected thereby in an inward and downwarddirection. The water from opening 12 is also directed with some forcethrough the spaces between teeth 4 and over the teeth effectively towash away comminuted material from the teeth.

A hinged lid or cover 13 is provided to close a mouth 14 leading intothe chute 10. Extending downwardly within the chute from the mouth 14 isa conical tubular guide member 15 the lower end 16 of which is spacedradially from the wall of the chute by a small amount. The chute, aroundthe lower end 16, is formed with an annular ring 21 of channel crosssection.

A slightly conical disc 17 of resilient material e.g. rubber or asynthetic resin material is located beneath the lower edge 16 of themember 1S. The disc 17 is slit radially at a number of angularly-spacedplaces to provide resilient fingers. The radially outer end of each slitterminates closely adjacent the wall of the chute in an axial hole whichis slightly larger than the slit. The disc 17 is clamped between twoparts of the chute as shown in the drawing. Water is supplied (eg. frommains) by pipe 18 to a chamber 19 near the upper end of the chute 10.The supply pipe 18 is spaced above the chamber so that the water fallsfrom the pipe into the chamber and there is no direct contact betweenthe pipe and the chamber. A pipe 20 extends from the bottom of chamber19 and communicates with the channel 6. It is apparent therefore thatwater supplied by the pipe 18 to the chamber 19 flows downwardly throughthe pipe 20 and into the channel 6. Water from the channel 6 passesaround the seal 7 and into the impeller to be discharged through theopening 12.

The chamber 19 is formed with a dam 22 which rises above thechannel-section ring 21 the arrangement being that water supplied to thechamber 19 iiows over the dam 22 into the channel 21 and thence throughthe angular space between the lower edge 16 of the member 15 and thecase 10. It is apparent that the channel 21 is of relatively smallcross-sectional size with the result that water rapidly overflows fromthe ring 21 and down the inner wall of the chute 16 to the disc 17. Thering 21 ensures that water is substantially uniformly distributed aroundthe inner wall of the chute 10. The water tiowing down the interior ofthe chute 10 passes over and around disc 17 and thereafter downwardly ofthe inner wall of the chute 10 into the casing 5.

An outlet 23 from the chute 10 is immediately beneath the lower end 16of the member 15. The outlet communicates by way of a pipe 24 with aconnector 25 secured by the casing 5 and having a connection 26 leadingto drain.

The connection 26 constitutes the drain outlet from the comminutingapparatus and through which the pulverized or mascerated towel materialis discharged from the apparatus.

The water chamber 19 may incorporate any known or convenient means forsupplying detergents, disinfectants, deodorants or other substances tothe water in the chamber.

The hinged cover 13 actuates an electric switch device 27. To this endthe switch device 27 comprises an actuator rod 28 which engages with acam-like portion 29 of a lug by which the cover 13 is pivotally securedto a casing or frame member 30. The switch 27 is in the circuitsupplying motor 1 and also in a circuit of a solenoid-actuated valvecontrolling the supply of water to pipe 18. It is arranged that whencover 13 is closed the electric motor 1 is brought into operation andwater is supplied to the apparatus by pipe 18. However, the switch 27 isin series with a further switch (not shown) which in known manner isactuated by the pressure of the Water supply to maintain said pressureswitch closed while water is being delivered to the apparatus. It willtherefore be appreciated that upon closure of -cover 13 the motor 1cannot be brought into operation unless water is available.

The switch device 27 incorporates a time-delay device whereby the switch27 is opened, to stop the electric motor 1, after a specified intervalof time following closure of the cover 13.

In use: the hinged cover 13 is raised and a sanitary towel is droppedinto the member 15. The latter directs the towel downwardly on to thedisc 17 and generally centrally thereof.

The cover is immediately closed and to this end it may be spring-urged.At any rate upon closure of the cover 13 the switch device 27 isactuated and at the same time water is supplied by the pipe 18 tochamber 19 and thence to the ring 21 and the interior of the casing 10.At the same time Water is delivered to the channel 6 and thence to theimpeller as described. The motor 1 is started. Water from the chamber 19passes directly to the comminuting apparatus through channel 6 andsimultaneously to the ring 21 and overflows therefrom down the innerwall of the chute. The water which flows down the wall of the chutepasses over the finger assembly 17 and thereby Wets the towel restingthereon. The water passes through the slits and the holes in the disc 17to the lower part of the chute. The free fall of the towel is broken bythe resilient fingers and this affords time for the motor 1 to bring theimpeller 3 to a predetermined speed before the sanitary towel engageswith the impeller. The towel is delivered in a wet condition to theimpeller and is comminuted. Comminuted material thrown up from theimpeller on to the wall of the chute is washed downwardly into theapparatus by the water flowing down the inner wall of the chute 10 fromring 21. This water also llows over the resilient inger assembly 17 andwashes comminuted material therefrom. The water supplied to thecomminuting apparatus through channel 6 carries comminuted materialinwardly and downwardly on to the impeller and washes over the impeller.Additionally the water streams through the interteeth spaces of ring 4thereby cleaning the ring. The Water flowing down chute 10 from the ring21 as Well as the water supplied directly to the comminuting apparatusthrough the channel 6 Washes comminuted material out of the apparatusand into the connector 25 and thence to the drain outlet 26.

As indicated above the motor 1 is in operation for a predetermined timeduring which a sanitary towel can be completely comminuted and carriedto drain e.g. for a period of say 30 seconds.

While the apparatus is in use if a second sanitary towel is to bedisposed ofthe same procedure is followed. However, when the cover 13 isopened the motor 1 is stopped.

Upon the second sanitary towel being dropped into the chute and thecover closed the sequence of operations described above is recommended.

While it is preferred that a resilient finger assembly 17 is providedthis is not essential.

If due to some mishap the supply of water is maintained and theapparatus becomes inoperative (e.g. because it is jammed with a largenumber of sanitary towels delivered in too rapid succession) the watercollected within the apparatus will overflow through the outlet 23 andpipe 24 to the drain without the water level reaching above the member1S.

I claim:

1. Waste disposal apparatus comprising a casing defining a chambertherein, a set of stationary teeth within the casing, a rotary impellerwithin the casing which co-acts with said set of teeth, an electricmotor to drive the impeller, a chute extending into said chamber andhaving an upper inlet opening through which the waste material to bedisposed of is introduced to the apparatus, said chute extending fromsaid opening downwardly to the casing, a closure for said opening, aswitch means actuated by closing of the closure, means for supplyingwater to the apparatus, electrically-actuated valve means to control thesupply of water to the apparatus, a circuit incorporating said switchmeans and the electric motor, so that the motor is started when thecover is closed, a circuit incorporating said switch means and theelectrically-actuated valve means so that water is supplied to theapparatus when the cover is closed, duct means for conveying watersupplied to the apparatus to said chamber, the chamber having a wallover which the water from the chamber spills into a shallow channelaround the chute to ow down the interior wall thereof and a conduit forconveying water supplied to the apparatus to the impeller which haswater passages therethrough and a water-discharge opening which directswater under centrifugal force to ow over the lower part of the chute andover the stationary teeth.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including an overflow outlet from thechute communicating with the drain outlet so that water in the chutecannot exceed a specified level.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means located within thechute and placed below said channel for breaking free fall of thearticle to be comminuted.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric motor iscontrolled by a time-switch device.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which an overflow outlet from thechute communicates with the drain outlet said overliow outlet beingimmediately below the shallow channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,676,759 4/1954StrehlOW 241-325 2,753,121 7/1956 Elfenbein 241-32.5 2,850,244 9/1958James 241-46 2,876,953 3/1959 Shepherd 241-38 WILLIAM W. DYER, IR.,Primary Examiner.

H. E. PEPPER, Assistant Examiner.

1. WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS COMPRISING A CASING DEFINING A CHAMBERTHEREIN, A SET OF STATIONARY TEETH WITHIN THE CASING, A ROTARY IMPELLERWITHIN THE CASING WHICH CO-ACTS WITH SAID SET OF TEETH, AN ELECTRICMOTOR TO DRIVE THE IMPELLER, A CHUTE EXTENDING INTO SAID CHAMBER ANDHAVING AN UPPER INLET OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE WASTE MATERIAL TO BEDISPOSED OF IS INTRODUCED TO THE APPARATUS, SAID CHUTE EXTENDING FROMSAID OPENING DOWNWARDLY TO THE CASING, A CLOSURE FOR SAID OPENING, ASWITCH MEANS ACTUATED BY CLOSING OF THE CLOSURE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYINGWATER TO THE APPARATUS, ELECTRICALLY-ACTUATED VALVE MEANS TO CONTROL THESUPPLY OF WATER TO THE APPARATUS, A CIRCUIT INCORPORATING SAID SWITCHMEANS AND THE ELECTRIC MOTOR, SO THAT THE MOTOR IS STARTED WHEN THECOVER IS CLOSED, A CIRCUIT INCORPORATING SAID SWITCH MEANS AND THEELECTRICALLY-ACTUATED VALVE MEANS SO THAT WATER IS SUPPLIED TO THEAPPARATUS WHEN THE COVER IS CLOSED, DUCT MEANS FOR CONVEYING WATERSUPPLIED TO THE APPARATUS TO SAID CHAMBER, THE CHAMBER HAVING A WALLOVER WHICH THE WATER FROM THE CHAMBER SPILLS INTO A SHALLOW CHANNELAROUND THE CHUTE TO FLOW DOWN THE INTERIOR WALL THEREOF AND A CONDUITFOR CONVEYING WATER SUPPLIED TO THE APPARATUS TO THE IMPELLER WHICH HASWATER PASSAGES THERETHROUGH AND A WATER-DISCHGE OPEINGING WHICH DIRECTSWATER UNDER CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO FLOW OVER THE LOWER PART OF THE CHUTEAND OVER THE STATIONARY TEETH.